japan running news

At the 3rd National Junior High School Cross-Country Championships Sunday in Chiba, Fukuoka's Kosuke Ishida , a 3rd-year at Asakawa J.H.S. , scored the win in the boys' 3 km in an excellent 8:47. With three junior high school national records to his name Ishida is the undisputed king of junior high athletics. Set to graduate next month before going on to Gunma's Tokyo Nogyo Daini H.S. , his win in his final national-level competition as a junior high school student crowned what has been a superb season. Osumi J.H.S. 3rd-year Mio Hashimoto from Kyoto won the girls' 3 km in 9:47. Ishida won the race by 13 seconds over the 2nd-placer. "I've won every national competition up to now," Ishida smiled afterward. "Winning this one too is a big relief." This season he won both the National Junior High School Championships and Junior Olympics and broke the junior high national records for 1500 m, 3000 m and 5000 m, a record of success that marks him as...

by Brett Larner This weekend is a lull in the middle of Japan's seven-week elite marathon season, but there's still plenty going on.  Both of its main 30 km road races, Kumamoto's Kumanichi 30 km and Tokyo's Ome 30 km, t he world's two greatest races at the distance , happen Sunday. Run in conjunction with the mass participation Kumamoto-jo Marathon, the Kumanichi 30 km is an elite-only event with small men's and women's fields and the home of Takayuki Matsumiya 's 1:28:00 national record.  Toyo University graduate Ryu Takaku (Team Yakult) leads the field with a 1:30:32 in Kumanichi three years ago.  Current Toyo runner Shun Sakuraoka and past 1500 m and 5000 m national champion Yuichiro Ueno (DeNA RC) are his main competition.   Mami Onuki (Team Sysmex) has the best 30 km time in the women's field, 1:46:37 for 2nd in last year's race, but the favorite may be the debuting Ayumi Kubo (Team Kagoshima Ginko), a 1:11:29 half marathoner. Th...

by Brett Larner Strong winds made for tough conditions and slow times at most of the weekend's main races.  The newly-formatted X-Run Chiba , a retooling of the longstanding Chiba International Cross-Country Meet, saw Yusuke Nishiyama (Komazawa Univ.) emerge on top of the day's longest race, the university men's 12 km.  Nishiyama outkicked Kenta Ueda , son of Yamanashi Gakuin University head coach Masahito Ueda , by 5 seconds to take the win in 37:48.  Maki Izumida (Rikkyo Univ.) had an even closer win in the university women's 6 km, running 20:54 to beat Ai Hosoda (Nittai Univ.) by just 3 seconds.  Rodgers Chumo Kwemoi (Kenya/Team Aisan Kogyo) won the men's 8 km by nearly a minute in 25:05, Yuki Kanehira (Team Sysmex) joining him at the top of the women's 8 km podium in 29:04.  With the junior high school races now serving as the National Junior High School Cross-Country Championships Maebashi Fujimi J.H.S. easily dominated, taking both the boys' and...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/1580556.html translated and edited by Brett Larner The JAAF has announced that beginning with next year's edition on Feb. 27, the Fukuoka International Cross-Country Meet will become the Japan Cross-Country Championships.  The male winner will be guaranteed a place in the 10000 m at the National Track and Field Championships, with the women's winner able to choose between the 5000 m and 10000 m.  The new format will also serve as the official selection event for the World Cross-Country Championships national team. Up to now Fukuoka has been one of two major domestic cross-country meets along with the Chiba International Cross-Country Meet, but the JAAF will now position Fukuoka as the meet for top-level athletes, with Chiba becoming the National Junior High School Cross-Country Championships and a race for amateurs.  The next edition of Chiba will be held on Feb. 14.

http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/ndirangu-buckman-chiba-cross-country 1:02:03 half-marathoner Takashi Ichida (Daito Bunka Univ.) was among the many who enjoyed running today's Chiba International Cross-Country Meet. 多分この写真が、三度目のヘッドスライディング。ﾐ(o_ _)o こんな天候でのレースも、大切ですね。 写真撮ってくださった方、ありがとうございます😂✋ pic.twitter.com/ohlt4SgiMx — 市田 孝 (@TAKA_supra) February 8, 2015 Also noteworthy but not included in the above IAAF article was that Tomomi Musembi Takamatsu , the younger sister of 2014 World Youth Olympics 3000 m gold medalist Nozomi Musembi Takamatsu , won the junior high school girls' 3 km race with an outstanding last kick to overtake two competitors in the home straight.

by Brett Larner February is one of those months with more events crammed in than it's possible to cover.  This weekend features at least three good quality marathons, a 10-miler, another late-season ekiden, and half of the elite Japanese cross country season. That XC happens east of Tokyo in Chiba at the Chiba International XC Meet, along with the Feb. 21 Fukuoka International XC Meet one of the two races that decide the Japanese team for next month's World XC Championships in China.  Marugame Half Marathon remnants Samuel Tsegaye (Eritrea) and Juan Luis Barrios (Mexico) make up the major share of the international component in the senior men's 12 km where they face the likes of 2015 Hakone Ekiden course record setter Aoyama Gakuin University 's Kazuma Kubota , Daito Bunka University wonder twins Hiroshi and Takashi Ichida and many more.  The Japanese junior teams usually represent well at worlds, and most of the country's best up-and-coming talent will be ...

by Brett Larner With heavy snow scheduled to hit most of the country on Saturday four races fill Sunday's calendar.   Chief among them is the 52nd edition of the Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon , a developmental race that has seen the debuts of the likes of Moscow World Championships marathon 5th-placer Kentaro Nakamoto  (Team Yasukawa Denki) and Hiroaki Sano  (Team Honda), the top Japanese man at last year's Chicago Marathon.   Sho Matsumoto  (Nikkei Business) leads the way with a 2:13:38 best from last year's Nobeoka, but look for challenges from debuting Hakone Ekiden Sixth Stage course record holder Kenta Chiba (Team Fujitsu) and Team Otsuka Seiyaku's ace rookie Yudai Yamakawa . Click here for a field listing and more info . The 54th Karatsu 10-miler sees Yuki Kawauchi  (Saitama Pref. Gov't) taking on sub-60 minute half marathoner Mekubo Mogusu  (Kenya/Team Nissin Shokuhin), Hiroyuki Uno  formerly of Hakone Ekiden course record sette...

by Brett Larner The first of Japan's two selection races for its World Cross-Country Championships team took place under beautiful sunny skies Feb. 10 in Chiba.  Former Sera H.S. standout Charles Ndirangu  (Kenya/Team JFE Steel) had no trouble taking the senior men's 12 km, winning by a margin of nearly 30 seconds over newcomer Miliyon Zewdie (Ethiopia/ Team Yachiyo Kogyo).  Close behind, Keigo Yano  and Takumi Honda of 2013 Hakone Ekiden champions Nittai University  went 4-5 to take the top two Japanese positions and all but assure themselves places on the Worlds team.  Last weekend's Marugame International Half Marathon winner Collis Birmingham  (Australia) was only 7th in 36:07. High schooler Rosemary Wanjiru  (Kenya/Aomori Yamada H.S.) won the senior women's 8 km with the largest margin of victory of the day, running 26:08 to beat pros Susan Wairimu (Kenya/Team Denso),  Hanae Tanaka  (Team Daiichi Seimei) and Yukari Abe (Team...

http://www.iaaf.org/news/preview/birmingham-to-face-top-japanese-talent-in-chi

by Brett Larner Five races fill a busy long weekend in Japan.  First and foremost is the 51st running of the Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon in Kyushu .  A developmental race at the 2:11-2:15 level, Nobeoka has in the past produced athletes such as Koji Kobayashi  (Team Subaru), who debuted there in 2:12:52 last year before going on to run the fastest time of 2012 by a Japanese man overseas, 2:10:40 at the Chicago Marathon.  This year's field includes 2010 Asian Games silver medalist Yukihiro Kitaoka  (Team NTN), 2011 Nobeoka winner Kenji Takeuchi  (Team Toyota Kyushu) and the promising Etsu Miyata  (Team Fujitsu).  A large number of athletes will be making their marathon debuts, most noteworthy among them being defending 5000 m national champion  Kazuya Deguchi (Team Asahi Kasei) and sub-63 man Ayumu Sato  (Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki).  2009 Ome 30 km winner Hirokatsu Kurosaki  (Team Konica Minolta) will also make a long-...

by Brett Larner Sera High School 's Kenyans Charles Ndirangu  and Susan Wairimu  once again took the top positions, winning the senior men's 12 km and senior women's 8 km races at the 47th Chiba International Cross-Country Meet Feb. 12 in Chiba.  Ndirangu ran head-to-head against 2007 World Championships 10000 m bronze medalist Martin Mathathi (Kenya/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC), accompanied partway by junior teammate John Gathaiya (Kenya/Sera H.S.).  After Gathaiya faded Ndirangu eventually opened a gap of ten seconds over Mathathi, winning in 34:59.  Gathaiya was nearly run down by 2011 World University Games 10000 m gold medalist and 1500 m national university champion  Suguru Osako (Waseda Univ.), who broke away from a chase pack of four including track runner Yuta Takahashi  (Team S&B), 10000 m national champion Yuki Sato  (Team Nissin Shokuhin) and Hakone Ekiden Seventh Stage record holder Yuta Shitara  (Toyo Univ.) late in the race. ...

http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/CROS12/News/NewsDetail.aspx?id=63532

http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/general/track/news/20120204k0000m050008000c.html http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2012/02/04/kiji/K20120204002563870.html http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20120203-OHT1T00147.htm http://www.47news.jp/sports/localsports/2012/02/post_20120204110414.html translated and edited by Brett Larner On Feb. 3 Rikuren announced the invited athlete list for the Feb. 12 Chiba International Cross-Country Meet.  Headlining the senior 8 km and 12 km lists are women's 5000 m national champion Megumi Kinukawa  (Mizuno) and men's 10000 m national champion Yuki Sato  (Team Nissin Shokuhin), along with others kicking off a season they hope will lead to the Olympics on the track.  Top university talent in the senior men's 12 km include Hakone Ekiden stars Suguru Osako  (Waseda University) and Ikuto Yufu  (Komazawa Univ.).  The women's 8 km also features Ukrainian Tetiana Gamera-Shmyrko , the runner-up at last weekend's...

by Brett Larner After two days of snow and rain the day dawned with perfect weather conditions for the 2011 Chiba International XC Meet , Feb. 13 in Chiba. For domestic Japanese runner spots on the Japanese national team for next month's World XC Championships in Spain were at stake. The times were accordingly fast on the hilly and muddier than optimal Chiba course. One of the two big runs of the day came from 2007 Tokyo Marathon women's winner Hitomi Niiya (Team Toyota Jidoshoki). In Chiba's first edition since 2003 as an 8000 m race for senior women rather than 6000 m Niiya blew the field apart, running 25:53 to win by a margin of 40 seconds over Hanae Tanaka (Ritsumeikan Univ.), who won the first stage at last month's National Women's Interprefectural Ekiden. Nanae Kuwashiro (Team Sysmex), a teammate of marathon national record holder Mizuki Noguchi , was 3rd in 26:41. Niiya's time was the second-best ever run at Chiba, just 10 seconds off Australian Benit...

by Brett Larner Together with the Fukuoka International Cross Country Meet at the end of the month, the Chiba International Cross Country Meet makes up part of the selection process for the Japanese national teams for March's World Cross Country Championships in Poland. Cross country has never been a significant part of Japanese distance running, and this year many of the biggest names on the entry lists gave the meet a miss. In the senior men's race, high schooler Bitan Karoki (Kenya/Sera H.S.) returned to take the win over a field of university and pro runners. Defending women's champion Yuko Shimizu (Team Sekisui Kagaku) likewise returned but finished only 17th. Below are the top finishers in each of the meet's main divisions. The top two domestic runners in each category stand a good chance of being selected for the Worlds team, while those in 3rd and below will have to wait to see what happens in Fukuoka. 2010 Chiba International Cross Country Meet - Top Finishers ...

http://iaaf.org/WXC09/news/newsid=49327.html Click pictures for more 2009 Chiba Int'l XC photos by Mikiko Lawrence.

http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/news/20090204k0000m050050000c.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Rikuren has announced the lineup for the Chiba International Cross Country Meet to take place Feb. 15. As a selection race for the Japanese national team for this year's Jordan World Cross Country Championships in March, the Chiba XC Meet has attracted a range of top athletes looking to represent their nation. The men's 12000 m race includes 3000 m steeplechase Olympian Yoshitaka Iwamizu (Team Fujitsu), 2009 Interprefectural Ekiden 7th stage winner Naoki Okamoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku), two-time Olympic marathoner Jon Brown (Canada/U.K.) and 2009 Shibuya New Ekiden 1st stage winner Jason Lawrence (New Zealand). The women's 6000 m race features Beijing Olympics 5000 m runner Yuriko Kobayashi (Team Toyota Jidoshokki), 2007 World Championships 6th place finisher Kiyoko Shimahara (Second Wind AC), and veteran Harumi Hiroyama (Team Shiseido). In the junior men's 8000 m rac...

http://www.sankei-kansai.com/2009/01/26/20090126-005663.html translated by Brett Larner 4020 runners participated in the 2009 Osaka Half Marathon, an event held in conjunction with the Jan. 25 Osaka International Women's Marathon on a 21.0975 km course from Osaka Stadium to Osaka Castle. Winning the women's division was 2007 Osaka World Championships marathon team member Kiyoko Shimahara (32, Second Wind AC), who clocked 1:13:15 in her second straight Osaka Half appearance, with Mai Kisaki (20, Team Kyocera) 2nd in 1:14:14. In the men's division, Joannis Makrioteris (27, Momoyama Gakuin Univ.) ran 1:08:22 to take his 4th consecutive win. Shimahara's winning time of 1:13:15 was slower than last year's mark, but she was nevertheless happy to be the top finisher. "I ran according to plan. At 20 km I dropped the people who were chasing me, just like that," she said with evident satisfaction. Shimahara won this past December's Honolulu Marathon and plans to...

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/080210/oth0802101755003-n1.htm translated by Brett Larner At the Chiba International Cross Country meet in Showa no Mori, Chiba on Feb. 10, 2nd year Saku Chosei High School student Akinobu Murasawa won the junior men's 8 km race in a time of 24:17. In the men's 12 km event Makoto Tobimatsu (Team Yasukawa Denki) was the top Japanese finisher, 3rd overall in 36:12. Hakone Ekiden star Yuki Sato (Tokai University) was a disappointing 28th, while Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) did not start. Kazuka Wakatsuki (Team Toto) was the top Japanese finisher in the women's 6 km race, also 3rd overall in 20:20. Along with the Fukuoka International Cross Country meet on Mar. 1, this race was one of the selection events for the World Cross Country Championships to be held on Mar. 30 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Complete results from all the meet's races are available here . The IAAF's report on the meet is here . Their preview, with some go...

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20080128-OHT1T00231.htm translated by Brett Larner On Jan. 28, the organizers of the Chiba International Cross Country meet announced the elite fields for this year's race, to be held Feb. 10 in Chiba's Showa No Mori. The men's 12 km field includes 5000 m national record holder Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) and Hakone Ekiden star Yuki Sato (Tokai University). The women's 6 km field includes 2006 Asia Games marathon bronze medalist Kayoko Obata (Team Acom). This meet will be used as a selection race for the March's World Cross Championships in the U.K.